Wednesday will be sunny, with a high near 36. Wednesday night will be cloudy, with a low around 20.

The Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency, the City of Birmingham and Hands on Birmingham volunteers will staff warming stations as temperatures plummet across central Alabama.

Stations will open at the Boutwell Auditorium, Moody United Methodist Church at 820 Church St. Moody, First Baptist Pell City at 2309 2nd Ave. N. Pell City, and Springville First United Methodist Church at 6471 U.S. 11 Springville from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. tonight through Monday morning, the American Red Cross announced today.

Coffee, hot chocolate, water and snacks will be served at the stations, but no hot meals.

Those interested in volunteering can contact Hands on Birmingham through the special events page of its Web site -- www.handsonbirmingham.org.

The weather service urges people to check on the elderly and families with young children whose homes might not be adequately heated.

Unusually cold temperatures across central Alabama are expected to last through weekend, the weather service reports. There will also be a chance of snow Thursday, with some areas getting more than inch of acculumlation. Wind chill temperatures late Thursday night and early Friday may drop below zero.